Networks Project Democrats to Win Both the House and Senate in the Midterms

Democrats are projected to win both chambers of Congress in Tuesday's midterms, ending unified Republican control, after networks projected Senate control late Tuesday night.

The midterm elections decided control of Congress for the final two years of President Donald Trump's term. Republicans entered Tuesday holding both chambers by narrow margins. A projection is a network estimate made before final vote counts are certified.

Networks project the House first

Decision Desk HQ, the election-data firm used by NewsNation, projected a Democratic House at 9:11 p.m. ET. MS NOW followed nearly fifty minutes later. CNN, NBC News and CBS News followed within about twelve minutes after that, TheWrap's monitoring showed.

Reuters reported the same conclusion in its own story. U.S. media projected Democrats on track to win House control, Reuters said. The win would put Democrats in position to challenge Trump's agenda next year.

A House majority takes two hundred eighteen seats. Democrats needed a net gain of four seats to reach it. The Associated Press had not called House control as of the desk's last verified checks Tuesday night.

The Senate projection followed near 11:30

The Senate took longer. NBC News and NewsNation projected Democratic control just before 11:30 p.m. ET. CNN followed with the same call minutes later, TheWrap reported.

The Tennessean's live blog carried the call at 11:37 p.m. ET. It said NBC News and Decision Desk HQ projected Democrats would win the fifty-one seats needed for a Senate majority. Fifty-one is the majority line in the one hundred-seat chamber.

Republicans entered Election Day with fifty-three Senate seats. Democrats held forty-five, with two independents caucusing with them. Democrats needed a net gain of four Senate seats, Reuters reported before polls closed.

The flips that built the Senate math

North Carolina delivered the first big flip. Former Governor Roy Cooper defeated Republican Michael Whatley. Cooper succeeds retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis in a state Trump carried three straight times.

South Carolina followed with the night's upset. Pediatrician Annie Andrews defeated Republican Senator Darline Graham. It was the first Democratic Senate win in South Carolina since 1998. Trump carried the state by eighteen points in 2024.

Texas added a third flip. NBC News projected Democrat James Talarico over Attorney General Ken Paxton at 10:55 p.m. ET. CNN and MS NOW followed. It was the first Democratic Senate win in Texas since 1988.

Kansas added a fourth flip in The Tennessean's reporting. Pastor Adam Hamilton defeated incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall. A Democrat had not won a Kansas Senate seat in nearly a century.

Holds protected the math. Senator Jon Ossoff won a second term in Georgia. Chris Pappas won New Hampshire's open seat. Republicans retained Florida's seat, where Ashley Moody defeated Angie Nixon.

What a projected sweep would change

A projected sweep ends two years of unified Republican control. Democrats would gain power to block much of Trump's legislative agenda. They could also oversee his administration and launch congressional investigations, TheWrap noted.

Trump responded in a statement to CBS News. "My message is, congratulations to the Democrats," he said. "I look forward to working with you for the good of our country."

Futures fell as the sweep took shape

Stock futures fell as the projections landed. As of 9:46 p.m. ET, Dow futures were down 0.76%. S&P 500 futures were down 1.13%. Nasdaq-100 futures fell nearly 2%, Stocktwits reported.

Those were overnight futures, not closing prices. Tuesday's regular session had closed mixed hours earlier. The S&P 500 rose 0.36% to 7,568.92. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.83% to 25,372.01. The Dow fell 0.38% to 51,786.72.

Technology shares took the overnight hit. Investors linked a Democratic win to more restrictions on data centers, pressuring the artificial intelligence buildout. The Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF fell more than 2% at the time of writing. The iShares Semiconductor ETF also fell more than 2%.

Nvidia fell about 1.5% overnight in that snapshot. Micron and Broadcom each fell about 3% at the time of writing. Those moves were overnight prints, and they can reverse before the cash open.

One strategist urged calm about the size of the reaction. A narrow blue wave may be largely priced in, said Chris Weston of Pepperstone, via Reuters. The bigger reaction may hinge on how decisive the win proves, he said.

What remains unknown

What remains unknown starts with the final margins. Projections are not certified results. The final seat counts in both chambers were not settled late Tuesday. Individual close races could still move the totals.

The Associated Press had not called House control at last check. That gap matters for how final the night reads. Network projections can be revised if later counts change the picture.

Wednesday's cash open is also unknown. Futures pointed lower overnight, but futures do not always hold. Whether selling extends into regular trading depends on final margins and positioning.

What to watch next

What to watch next is confirmation. Watch for Associated Press calls on chamber control. Watch final counts in the closest Senate and House races. Watch whether uncalled races change either projected majority.

Watch Wednesday's open against the overnight snapshot. A futures slide that fades tells a different story than one that deepens. Watch technology shares tied to data centers for follow-through.